just days ago, with abortion now illegal or about to be in more than a dozen states how activists are scrambling to provide services and the state already expecting tens of thousands more patients plus, the future of the abortion pill who one governor says she will hold legally responsible for shipping it. president biden under pressure to act as republicans regroup ahead of the midterms. plus, our investigation inside crisis pregnancy centers. what really goes on inside them and what we discovered about how taxpayer money is funding them just breaking, an amtrak train with more than 200 passengers derails in missouri, turning deadly what we're learning about how passengers escaped the overturned cars plus the latest on survivors. the deadly russian missile attack on a crowded shopping mall in ukraine president zelenskyy calling the number of victims unimaginable preventing heat-related deaths as temperatures reach new records.

the new wearable technology aimed at saving lives and serena williams back on the court. inside her return to wimbledon. >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt good evening a rapidly shifting patchwork of abortion laws tonight as the battle in the wake of roe v. wade's demise spills from the chambers of the u.s. supreme court to state courtrooms across america. tonight abortion rights supporters in more than a half dozen states putting up legal challenges, trying to block abortion bans. many of the new laws designed to automatically go into effect following the court's decision including louisiana, where a judge temporarily halted enforcement of that state's trigger law. over the weekend in cities across the country thousands marched in protest to the supreme court's decision to end a constitutional right to abortions today senate minority leader mitch mcconnell savoring the court's

decision after years of work. but new polling suggesting the decision is not in sync with public opinion. an npr/pbs/marist poll found 56% of americans oppose the supreme court's ruling versus 40% who support it blayne alexander has much more. >> no justice! >> no peace! >> reporter: with federal protection of abortion rights gone -- >> what do we want >> abortion rights >> reporter: -- both sides are turning out in the streets while others are fighting the changes in court trigger laws in at least eight states are now facing legal challenges today a judge temporarily blocked enforcement of louisiana's law, meaning the state's three clinics, which had stopped providing services after friday's decision, can once again perform abortions for now. tonight there is a growing patchwork of laws from state to state. right now abortion is illegal with few exceptions in at least seven states and in the coming weeks at least six more are also expected to put bans in place

effectively wiping out abortion access across a wide portion of the south. for tens of thousands of women illinois would be the closest option the state's 17 planned parenthood clinics are preparing to serve them >> we are expecting to see 20,000 to 30,000 more out of state patients every year in the state of illinois. >> how will your clinics be able to handle that increase >> we are going to be able to handle that increase by increasing the number of appointments we have, by hiring more staff >> reporter: in georgia, the attorney general has taken steps to allow the state's heartbeat law to take effect, which would ban abortions after six weeks. but some anti-abortion groups are demanding a total ban. >> that will declare the paramount right to life of every human being from the earliest biological beginning to natural death. >> you're not calling for any exception, rape, incest -- >> that's correct. >> -- life of mother >> that's correct. >> reporter: other republican-led states are also eyeing more restrictions

south dakota's governor says she is concerned about abortion pills that come by mail >> i don't believe women should ever be prosecuted i don't believe that mothers in this situation should ever be prosecuted. now, doctors who knowingly violate the law, they should be prosecuted definitely >> reporter: meanwhile, democratic leaders are looking at ways to protect abortion rights. washington governor jay inslee has declared his state a safe haven for women seeking abortion care. >> we want them to know there's a wall in the west coast protecting the women of the west coast and the citizens that come from these other states >> and, blayne, this evening another court, another state weighed in on one of these trigger laws >> reporter: that's right, lester. a judge in utah has issued a temporary restraining order effective immediately, meaning that abortions in the state can resume for now now, the judge says that the ban caused irreparable harm, saying it deprived women of safe local medical treatment. lester >> all right blayne alexander, thank you. there's new political fallout tonight. the biden

administration vowing to help women get abortion services but facing pressure from some democrats, saying the administration did not do enough before roe was overturned kristen welker now has more >> reporter: president biden at critical diplomatic talks as the administration grapples with intensifying fallout over abortion rights back home. >> we will do everything within our power as an administration through the executive branch to ensure that women have access to the medication they need >> reporter: today the secretaries of health and human services, labor and treasury writing a joint letter to insurers saying the affordable care act requires contraception coverage the president and top democrats are also now trying to make abortion rights a top midterm issue, aiming to energize critical voters including suburban women but some progressive democrats saying simply telling americans to go vote for democrats is too little too late. >> i do believe that there has been a weak democratic strategy in

the past and we cannot continue to use those same playbooks >> reporter: tonight we pressed the hhs secretary. >> what do you say to democrats who say the administration's strategy is weak and ineffective? >> there is nothing that would preclude us from going to the mat, going to the nth degree to make sure we protect americans' access to care >> reporter: polling shows 56% of americans say they oppose the supreme court's decision but republicans taking a victory lap. >> what the court did in effect was return this very controversial issue to the people and their representatives. >> reporter: arguing issues including soaring inflation will have a bigger impact on american voters >> they're going to have a high opinion on inflation, the policies democrats have gone, high gas prices, a border that's not secure, crime. >> reporter: though a source close to former president trump tells us mr. trump believes the decision is politically complicated and puts republicans in uncharted territory.

lester >> all right kristen welker, thank you. let me bring in now justice correspondent pete williams. orders, pete, for medical abortion pills have multiplied, but can a patient who lives in a state where abortion is banned still order them legally? >> well, the justice department says the states can't ban shipment of those pills by claiming they're unsafe because the fda has declared them to be safe and effective. but state laws are different. and lawyers who track this issue say there's no clear answer yet. they do say it's pretty clear that patients can travel to states where abortion is legal to have the procedure there, lester >> and separately, pete, what about today's other big supreme court ruling >> another example of the court easing the separation of church and state. it ruled for a high school football coach who prayed on the 50 yard line immediately after games. the school district told him to find someplace else to pray to avoid the appearance that it was endorsing his religion but by a vote of 6-3 the court said he was acting in a private capacity protected by freedom of expression and religion

so this doesn't appear to open the door to teacher-led prayer in the classroom, lester. >> pete williams, thanks new details just breaking three people are dead after an amtrak train with more than 200 passengers derailed after hitting a dump truck in missouri. miguel almaguer is closely following it all. miguel, what are you learning >> reporter: well, lester, good evening this deadly accident happened at what's called an uncontrolled crossing that's where there's no arm that blocks cars when a train is coming and now the ntsb is en route. the very passengers riding the derailed amtrak train recorded their own harrowing escape through broken glass and twisted metal survivors climbed to safety any way they could. some stunned and without their shoes on made their way to the top of their toppled passenger cars 255 were aboard. there are dozens of injuries and at least three fatalities >> everyone is screaming. i, of course, am yelling.

people are on top of one another. >> reporter: after first responders reached the wreckage in rural missouri, some of the injured were rushed to local hospitals. it was 12:42 p.m. when eight of the train's cars and two locomotives derailed after slamming into a dump truck at a public crossing horrified screams filled the train headed from los angeles to chicago >> i've been in bad car accidents, and this is beyond comprehension. >> reporter: with the cause of this crash under investigation, it's been a deadly 48 hours for amtrak sunday outside san francisco three were killed and two were hospitalized after another train loaded with passengers collided with a car on the tracks, also at a public crossing. now it's happened again, as authorities piece together what went wrong two of the fatalities include people on the train. the third is the driver of that dump

truck. authorities tell us a 15-year-old boy scout found that driver in a ditch and provided the motorist with comfort and aid until that driver passed away lester >> all right miguel with that late update, thank you. in ukraine, authorities say at least 13 people were killed and dozens wounded after a russian missile strike on a crowded shopping mall richard engel now with late details >> reporter: the city of kremenchuk had been spared russian attacks. that's why so many people were out. they thought they were safe ukraine's president zelenskyy said 1,000 people were inside this shopping mall initial reports are several were killed when a russian missile hit. earlier i spoke with president zelenskyy about why he thinks russia is being so brutal there is a iconic photograph of you in bucha, and you look exhausted. what was it like for you to see your fellow countrymen executed on the streets, their

hands bound behind their backs? did it change you? >> translator: it was just so quiet. everything was destroyed. i just didn't know that this could be done by people who 30 years previously we had lived together in the soviet union in one country. >> why do you think this is happening, that there are now thousands of allegations of russian war crimes here, thousands of them? >> something was broken with mentality, with them. something -- >> translator: this reminds me of -- of people who have been starved, who have been locked up in prisons and then released and sent out with weapons saying to them do what you want >> reporter: president zelenskyy said that shopping mall attack today, like so many of russia's targets in

this war, had no military value lester >> richard, thank you. and we should point out richard's interview was part of the aspen ideas festival for which nbc is the media partner for more go to nbcnews.com tomorrow in 60 seconds we go inside crisis pregnancy centers. why critics say they are providing misinformation to women seeking care our investigation next

there are more crisis pregnancy centers nationwide than abortion clinics. at least 13 states have spent nearly half a billion taxpayer dollars to fund them but tonight nbc news investigates the care they provide as critics warn they spread false information. cynthia mcfadden has our report from texas. >> reporter: we're heading to a crisis pregnancy center in texas, one of more than 2,500 in the country. they say they provide free services and

abortion information for pregnant women what they don't say is that they're often affiliated with groups supporting abortion alternatives >> is it in here >> reporter: to learn more about what happens inside we sent in two nbc news producers to ask for pregnancy counseling at a center in the dallas area a volunteer told our producer they don't offer abortions, adding abortions can cause infertility. when asked about the abortion pill, the volunteer said, my job is not to scare you. you never get over seeing that baby she then pointed to a small plastic model like this, saying, can you imagine one of these in your panties? >> oh, my gosh okay >> yeah, so as a taxpayer this is infuriating. a horrible thing for a woman to be told and medically totally inaccurate >> as a nurse, as a mom, you totally shocked me with that it's a lie

and it is shaming and it is -- it is grotesque. >> reporter: texas state representative donna howard, a democrat, found an unlikely ally in former republican state representative sarah davis. they're calling for these non-profits to be regulated and demanding accountability for a program called alternatives to abortion, which helps fund crisis pregnancy centers. in texas, they outnumber abortion clinics 9-1. >> when i say alternatives to abortion, what is the first thing that comes to mind? >> waste of money. waste of taxpayer dollars. lack of accountability and actually no metrics that indicate that it has anything to do with averting abortions. >> is this a program to make republicans feel good, like they're doing something to help women? >> does it help women? >> no. >> reporter: the program will cost texas taxpayers $100 million over the next 2 years. >> this is probably

the only program at least that i'm aware of where the legislature basically writes a blank check without knowing what they're getting. >> reporter: while some of the centers provide free services like diapers, ultrasounds, and std testing, none of the texas facilities are licensed medical providers, though some women report believing that they are. at another center our producers visited near the border a female staffer implied abortions can cause cancer and infertility. she then played a video saying they also cause mental illness all of that categorically false. alternatives to abortion in texas has also received federal tax dollars. $45 million over the last 15 years. money intended as temporary help for needy families >> these are desperate people who need these funds. and instead it's going to a program that provides things like pamphlets, that provides some classes. >> would you go so far

as to say that in some instances they are actually committing fraud? >> yes >> yeah. >> reporter: they point to the misinformation and a case currently being investigated in which state funds from the program were allegedly used by the president of a center to buy land for hemp production who's to blame >> well, the legislature. >> yes, but the leadership that we have in this state has pushed an agenda that has made it impossible to have any real dialogue about what is really going to make a difference in the lives of these women and their families >> reporter: neither the texas governor nor lieutenant governor responded to our request for comment, but the charlotte lozier institute an anti-abortion rights group told nbc news that the centers provide vital services and have a satisfaction rating of

over 95% lester >> okay. cynthia, thank you next, amid historic heat waves we'll show you the new tech being used to keep workers from overheating.

millions today are facing heat advisories, with some areas in a triple-digit heat index. the intense heat waves causing dangerous conditions for workers. but new tech is aiming to keep them safe. sam brock has more >> reporter: in alabama, the

temperatures topped 90 degrees today as employees at tuscaloosa's black warrior brewing lugged kegs and set up palettes of cans in the scorching sun. but now they're equipped with a new tool wearable arm tech that displays your core temperature. you're wearing the armband. >> yep >> what does that measure? >> it measures our heart rate, our exertion level, and our core temperature >> reporter: knowing that 106 degrees is the point when the human body starts to break down and heat-related illness sinks in could this have prevented something more serious from happening? >> absolutely. i've seen a lot of serious stuff happen in a lot of heat incidents. >> reporter: osha is the driving force behind a new program just unveiled in april for small to medium-sized businesses whose workers operate in a heat index of 80 degrees or higher. the federal agency reaches out to some businesses, but anyone

can request an evaluation so far only companies in alabama are test-piloting the technology, paid for by the state government >> these are important programs because a lot of things such as heat illness can be prevented. but that requires education. >> reporter: federal figures show on average 35 workers die every year from heat exposure, and there are some 2,700 reported cases of days away from work earlier today the head brewer having to push pause when his core temperature broke 100. >> so if you want to kind of knock off for a bit, go inside and cool down. >> reporter: as those on the front lines of the heat are focusing on ways to fight back against a rising risk. sam brock, nbc news, tuscaloosa, alabama. when we come back, inside serena williams' return to wimbledon.

wimbledon is back in full swing, and serena williams is in the spotlight, hoping to make a historic comeback meagan fitzgerald has more >> reporter: seven-time wimbledon champion serena williams is back >> i didn't retire >> reporter: and set to play tuesday in the first round against french newcomer harmony tan. the tennis superstar vying for her 24th grand slam title if she wins, she'll tie margaret court for the most titles in women's tennis history. >> i wouldn't be who i am if i didn't go through and get through what i got through. and i love who i am. and i wouldn't trade it for anything. >> reporter: but the tennis legend is unseeded and not favored to win williams taking the last year off -- >> oh, serena. oh, no >> reporter: after losing her footing and

tearing her hamstring in the first round of wimbledon last year. tearfully dropping out and stepping away from the game >> i just needed to heal physically, mentally i just didn't know when i would come back i didn't know how i would come back. and, you know, obviously wimbledon is such a great place to be >> to have serena back on court will be fantastic. >> it's so exciting. >> reporter: a return to the court after a busy year. at 40 years old, there's speculation on if she can win it all. but whether she clinches the title or not, she's sure to put on a heck of a show. meagan fitzgerald, nbc news, london >> great to see her back in the game that's "nightly news" for this monday. thank you for watching i'm lester holt. please take care of yourself and each other. good night

next on nbc bay area, tonight a tax rebate coming to 23 million in california. we'll break down how much you could get and when. plus, we'll be talking about how much this could help and what else you could do to offset the cost of gas and rising inflation. two big events in one week. how the warriors parade and pride weekend may impact our covid cases. we're joined by an expert. and it's been a staple for generations, but today announcement that great america will eventually close. we'll tell you why. then. >> it's always nice to be challenged by seeing things in nature we can't explain. more great white sharks